Beautifully Tainted
by Sunlance
Summary: Rachel, now 15 and part of the Teens Next Door, is finding it hard to deal with her emotions for a certain blonde haired teen. Will she lose herself, or will she find where she truly belongs?


**And hello there fans of kids next door! This here is for all you 362x274 lovers out there, based 'tainted' from 'defining me'. I hope you all enjoy the 362x274 goodness!**

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><p>I lowered my hat so it covered my eyes, blocking the sun's blinding rays and allowing a cool, comforting shadow to fall across my face. I had shed my blue jacket and swung it over my shoulder, rolling up the sleeves of my crystal white shirt. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face and I sighed as I continued onwards towards Union Valley high. It wasn't the best of high schools, but I despised the idea of being separated from my friends.<p>

I was patted on the back; one quick swipe jolted me out of my thoughts. I turned and found Abby, grinning from ear to ear and still wearing her signature hat she had back in the KND. Ah, the good old times when nothing really mattered. But that was the past and we still had a mission to do.

Since Abby's supposed 'decommissioning' and my 'betrayal', we had been working with the Teens Next Door, working our way up the food chain within the Teen Ninjas. It was hard work and our latest assignment wasn't what we'd been expecting. We were assigned to keep an eye on Chad Dickson and Cree Lincoln. The latter wasn't too hard; Cree thought Abby had truly joined the 'dark side' and somehow escaped decommissioning. No wonder they wanted us to keep an eye on Cree, she'd be able to sniff out our TND spies in no time.

Chad, on the other hand, was an utter annoyance. And with Abby as a best friend it only got worse. Sure, I liked him; everyone did (including Abby!). It didn't mean Abby could tease me about it, not to mention it would be totally wrong. He's the enemy for God's sake! Sometimes I wish I could just lie down and refuse to live life. It'd be much easier.

"Hey girl, what's eating ya?" Trust Abby, catching onto my mood. I sighed, knowing she'd never drop the subject unless I answered. And I was about to answer too but I was interrupted by _Mr Popularity_ himself.

"Hey there ladies, how about lunch with me today? We'll be discussing business." He winked at us and I mentally gagged. Sorry Chad, you're not on my hit list. Something deep inside me insisted I was lying to myself, but I refused to fall in lo- I caught myself. I wouldn't even think about it. He was a traitor, no matter how much I liked him.

"We'll be there," Abby answered casually as if it was an ordinary thing. I silently mouthed thank you to her for answering instead, but the look in her eye told me I'd pay for it. Bad times.

Chad looked at me, dropping his cocky smile and giving me a slight nod of respect. "Go on guys, I'll catch up." He told his crew and they unwillingly departed from their ring leader. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked in-between me and Abby. That annoyed me, but the awkward silence falling upon us was more annoying. I opened my mouth to break the silence but someone beat me to it.

"Why did you leave the KND?" We stopped, frozen in the middle of the pathway. Chad was a metre away, having stopped to voice the question. I turned to him, confusion and panic rushing over me. I kept my cool, allowing neither of the emotions to flood my face.

"What d' you mean?" I wanted to avoid this subject, it wasn't something I was proud about and yet I had to act proud of it because it was in the TND job description. Life sucked right now, royally.

"Why would you, former supreme leader Numbuh 362, betray the very organisation you helped run? I thought you were loyal to a _fault_." That struck a nerve. I gritted my teeth, unable to stop myself from showing the anger shimmering in my eyes. I felt Abby tug on my shirt but I ignored it. His comment right now had bruised my pride. Not to mention how hypocritical he was being, last time I checked he did the exact same thing.

"I could ask the same as you; the _great_ 274 running away from his fate. I wasn't the only _loyal dog_ in that organisation." I barked back, anger showing in my voice. He stared me in the eye, searching for an answer. I knew this because I was doing the same thing. I was looking for something, anything that told me he still cared about the KND.

He looked away, closing his eyes briefly before looking back into mine. "I couldn't bear to lose all the good times…" He said it so softly I barely heard it. His whisper echoed in my ears and something changed. He wasn't a sad teen trying to get rid of a rival organisation. He was a teen who just wanted to cling onto his childhood. I couldn't blame him, because that's all I wanted too.

Abby continued to tug on my shirt and this time I obliged to her wishes and was dragged away from where Chad stood. I looked back once more to see he hadn't tried to follow us. Instead he stood there, hands in his pockets and a small ghost of a smile on his face. I turned back and rushed along the path with Abby, trying so hard to refuse to sympathise with him.

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><p>My morning lessons flew by with me staring out the window and contemplating my life. What Chad asked really had thrown me off because I didn't really know why I agreed to betraying them in the first place. Sure, I'd still be helping the KND but they wouldn't know that. To them I was just another traitor following in Chad's stupid footsteps, always remembered for failing the KND and letting them down when they looked up to me.<p>

Maybe this was what Chad felt like. I cringed, remembering the ghostly smile that appeared on his face when he started thinking about his past. What if I became like that? Always dreading my next meeting with an operative from the KND, wishing I was able to tell them, even if it was just one of them, that I was still working for the KND.

My thoughts went through all the friends I had. The older ones who had moved on and been decommissioned with pride and a smile on their face like Maurice, just accepting the inevitable and going out with a cheer. Or the younger ones who looked up to me with awe and respect because I was the leader that got them through their hardships and awarded them when needed.

I could feel the tears starting to run down my face as I remembered Fanny. I wished that I could tell her most of all, but she wouldn't believe me. She was 15, in a completely different school and had been decommissioned 2 years prior. We kept in touch and promised we'd visit each other but that didn't stop the aching pain I held in my chest; the guilt of keeping a secret, of knowing who she was when she couldn't remember a thing from 7-13.

I sighed, wiping my eyes as the bell rang for lunch. I knew where I needed to meet Chad, I just hoped that Abby was there waiting for me. Abby and I had become close friends over the years, mainly because of all the missions we were assigned together in both the TND and Teen Ninjas. We'd shared some secrets and our fair amount of hardships which only managed to push us closer together.

I walked up the seemingly endless flight of stairs almost unconsciously. I was lost in my thoughts when they landed on another subject I wished to avoid. _Nigel_. I loved him and was extremely jealous of _Lizzie Devine_, who threw him away like a broken toy because he finally set his priorities straight. But Nigel was long gone; he didn't even bother to tell me he was leaving. However I did have a small lead; a while ago I figured out Abby knew something about his disappearance and I'd pushed the subject for months.

But there was something wrong, Abby knew it and so did I. I started to think about it less and less, I just guessed I was moving on. Then _Chad_ entered the equation. I had thought about it a thousand times over but refused to admit anything to anybody. But the more I thought about it, the more I came to a final conclusion. Maybe it wasn't love, but a certain lust for closeness and closure; something to take my mind away from Nigel.

I pushed the fire exit open to find the roof empty other then Abby and Chad. It seemed the two of them were let out early. That or walking up the stairs whilst daydreaming took longer then I expected.

"Bout time you got here, McKenzie." Chad voiced, annoyance showing through his tone.

"Calm down, hotshot. Abby thinks you gotta give the girl a break." I made a mental note to thank Abby later, yet another thing I would pay for. Still, it was worth the back up.

"What ever, _Lincoln_. It's time we got down to business." He beckoned me over and I (reluctantly) joined him and Abby on the floor. The breeze was refreshing and I was somewhat glad that we met up here instead of the cafeteria.

"What's the situation?" I asked, putting on my façade and readying myself for anything. Chad reached into his bag and pulled out a set of blueprints.

"Your next big mission. The three of us are to infiltrate the newest addition to KND hideouts. It's big. But it's worth it." He looked to us to make sure we were following. We both nodded, however Abby was as curious as ever.

"What's the big deal about a new hideout?" We both knew why it was such a big deal. If their new hideout was a success it would become the next KND headquarters; a fortress impossible to infiltrate. It was a project bigger than the moonbase and that was saying something. I cursed under my breath; failure was not an option for either side.

"If this project is a success then we'd be saying hello to the next KND HQ. Imagine the disaster it would bring for us; weapon factories hidden within a fortified _and _unreachable area. It would be the safest place on earth for any KND operative. We cannot fail this mission. Got it?" he looked to us for confirmation.

We nodded, silently praying something natural would go wrong. He handed us the blueprints and a mission overview saying when and where we'd meet before we began the mission. We got up to leave but Chad stopped us. "A word, McKenzie." I gulped, motioning for Abby to leave and telling her I'd be fine.

"What is it now, _Dickson_?" I asked immediately after Abby had left. I scowled at him, glaring daggers his way. He just smiled at me and I couldn't tell whether it was his usually cocky grin or arrogant smirk. Something deep down told me it was neither.

"What's with the discomfort, _McKenzie_?" He asked, taking a giant step closer so he stood just inches away. He towered over me, his tall frame shadowing me from the blistering sun. His shirt didn't help to cover his well defined abs and I found myself leaning towards him.

I threw away my logic, I knew it was wrong but I didn't care. I wanted to forget Nigel and how he left me without a goodbye. I wanted to replace my soldier and I didn't care who filled his position. I knew I'd regret my choice, but my heart was pounding and all I wanted right now was to kiss the man of my dreams. Who cared if I grew up? Maybe it was a good thing. I liked Chad! I liked him from the first time I met him. It wasn't his cocky smirk, it was his genuine smile.

I knew that with him I'd be happy, that I could count on him. I'd been thinking about it for so long, over complicating every little detail.

So what about the rules within the TND? Why should I care? If I want a relationship with the only man besides Nigel who could satisfy my needs and understand me then why would I let that chance go to waste?

He put his hand under my chin and lifted my head up to face him. He leaned in and so did I, tilting my head in the opposite direction to his. A part of me was screaming to run but my teenage instinct took over. I didn't care who he was or where we were, all I wanted right now was _him._

Sparks flew when our lips touched, soft and gentle at first with the fire growing my passionate. It swayed from pleasant to fiery, peaceful to aroused, tame to erotic. It varied so much and that was just the way I like it.

His body was pressed against mine, the tender brush of his gentle lips upon my own sent and exhilarating chill coursing through my spine. We pulled away to breathe, our chests heaving and our lips stinging with excitement. I wished the moment would never end.

Maybe it was wrong, but all the while it felt so right. I was in the Teens Next Door, but it didn't mean they could take away my rights. So what if he was my enemy or if I was on a mission? Right now me and him were the only people in the world. All my focus was on him and the moment we shared.

"Wow," he said breathlessly, brushing my bangs away from my face. "I never knew you had it in ya, McKenzie." His breath was hot on my face, yet the fact didn't repulse me. The closeness only made me want him more. I placed my head on his chest, hearing the faint beat of his heart and feeling the rise and fall of his comforting chest. I lifted my head to look at him, his smile still plastered on his face. This time it was full of life.

"Yeah," I replied, bringing one hand up and placing it on his neck. "Neither did I." Our lips met again, a lustful roughness about the collision. It was steamy and sexy and left me without a care in the world.

"I love you," I whispered in-between kissing. I felt my body acting on instinct, the impulses coursing through my body. We broke again, his forehead resting on mine.

"Oh McKenzie," He whispered in my ear seductively. He moved to look me in the eye, all the torment and pain of his past flashing through his facial features. "I love you too."

I understood him. I realised it whilst our passionate engagement was still taking place. We left for the same reason, because we wanted to remember those we loved. We wanted to remember the fascinating times we spent with each other. We were two peas in a pod, always meant to be together. Our love wasn't fake, hidden behind lies and deceit. Our love was real and the look he held on his face was the only confirmation I needed.

We broke reluctantly and walked from the roof arm in arm. Once we reached the bottom floor we whispered our goodbyes and parted ways. That moment wasn't a one off, I knew all too well it would be public soon enough. I didn't care though. I was happy and my decision was final. I was perfectly content with being in a _real_ relationship with Chad. All I was worried about was telling Abby.

She'd flip, I was sure of it…

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><p><strong>And there we go! Hope you all enjoyed reading it. Feel free to review! Your comments are always accepted and appreciated. Also, should I continue or leave it as a precious little one shot so your imaginations can piece together how badly Abby will flip out at Rachel.<strong>

**Until next time, See ya!**


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